Magnets have been used in industrial and domestic liquid handling devices to precipitate free ions as anion and cations on opposite polarity pole faces of the magnets. A domestic water treating device using permanent magnets has been commercialized for use in toilet tanks, air conditioner pans and humidifiers to minimize or prevent discoloration of toilet bowls and buildup of deposits on parts. Domestic water treating devices using permanent magnets have advantages over chemical devices designed to remove stains from toilet tanks because the permanent magnets have a much greater effective life than chemicals and do not require addition of a coloring agent.
The commercial device generally includes a plastic base carrying two flat permanent magnets and a plastic cover that frictionally fits on the base to assist in holding the magnets in place relative to transverse and longitudinal center planes, about which the device is symmetrical. The base includes downwardly depending feet, designed to space the base exterior floor from a floor of the water containing structure into which the water treating device is to be placed. The magnets are held in place by studs projecting upwardly from an interior floor of the base and by posts downwardly depending from an interior roof of the cover. A liquid flow path between the interior of the water treating device and the aqueous body in which it is located is provided by holes in the base and roof of the cover, as well as large windows in side walls of the cover which enable the permanent magnets to be easily seen. In addition, a flow path is provided between the interior of the device and the aqueous body via openings provided between ears which extend from the base along the longitudinal center plane and contact side walls of the cover.
While the described prior art device has been commercialized, it has not been particularly commercially successful. When the prior art permanent magnet device is released base down from the surface of the aqueous body, to descend to the floor of a container for the aqueous body, the device falls in a random manner and finally comes to rest on the container floor on its roof and base with approximately equal probability. This is frequently perceived as being an improper position for the device by the home dweller who then feels he/she must insert his/her hand into the tank and place the device in an upright position with its base down. Many home dwellers regard this as a rather unpleasant exercise.
The prior art device also has the disadvantage, from a commercial standpoint, of being somewhat unsightly. The large windows contribute to this unsightliness and give the appearance of a rather flimsy structure having poor craftsmanship.
From an operational standpoint, there is a relatively high flow impedance path between the base interior floor and the bottom magnet pole faces adjacent or abutting that floor. This is because there is a negligible or zero gap between the bottom pole faces and the base interior floor. Because of the high impedance flow path to the bottom pole face, there is a reduction in the number of anion or cations precipitated from the water to the bottom pole face to reduce the efficiency of the device in preventing stains and buildup of minerals on the water handling device in which the water treating device is located.
Another disadvantage of the prior art device is that it functions only to precipitate anions and cations. Many homeowners are desirous, for one reason or another, of removing bacteria from toilet bowl water, as well as water droplets circulated via forced air heating and cooling circulation systems including humidifiers and air conditioners. It is also desirable for bacteria neutralizing, removing or killing structure used in domestic water treating devices to be longlasting.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device, particularly adapted for use with water handling devices such as toilet tanks, air conditioners and humidifiers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device using magnets for reducing buildup of minerals in water handling devices such as toilets, air conditioners and humidifiers.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device for preventing stains and mineral buildup, as well as to reduce bacteria count, in domestic water handling devices such as toilet bowls and tanks, humidifiers and air conditioners.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device having a very long effective life for precipitating minerals and removing bacteria from water in devices such as toilets, air conditioners and humidifiers.
Still an additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device including permanent magnets, which device is attractive because, inter alia, the magnets are concealed from view, even though a low impedance flow path is provided to both pole faces of magnets in the device.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved domestic water treating device including permanent magnets, which device is arranged so that it always lands with its base against the floor of a water container in which the device is placed, after the device descends base first from the surface of the water to the floor of the water container.